Simon, tell us something about yourself
I did an industrial management apprenticeship at RWE and, in parallel, a bachelor's degree in business administration; I'm also currently doing my master's dissertation in IT management. After my apprenticeship, I worked at RWE, Volkswagen Infotainment and HRS - always in an IT environment, but I was mainly concerned with the business management side.
Why did you want to become an IT trainee?
Evonik may not seem like a typical employer for an IT employee, but that makes all the difference. The focus may be on chemicals, but there is a huge requirement for IT-related processes and products, which is growing continuously. For me, the attraction of Evonik lies in the diverse range of IT tasks and responsibilities, their linkage with the Group's products, and ongoing digitalization.
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you look back on your time as an IT trainee?
The sincerity of the welcome that I received everywhere - I always felt immediately integrated right from the start. That made it easy for me to build up a good network in IT. And since I completed a total of nine very different placements - including three months in the U.S. - my time was incredibly varied.
Do you have a favorite among the placements you completed?
No, I found them all equally interesting and important. I started from scratch each time and then always learned a lot of new things. That's exciting per se. I wouldn't have wanted to forgo a single placement.
When it came to you finding a permanent position: do you derive any benefits from having been a trainee?
One advantage is certainly the network that you have built up. You simply know a lot of people and may be approached more often, when a position is available. Of course, the permanent employment guarantee means that you can be sure of a permanent position. The contacts you've made beforehand are probably an advantage in making sure that you really do get the job you want. In any case, I have found my dream job as a Solution Architect in the Market Engagement area.
You had a personal mentor the whole time. How important was he for you?
It was extremely important for me to have a dedicated contact person throughout the entire time. Claus, my mentor, gave me lots of valuable tips and helped me pin down a number of issues - that was a great help, especially in the early days. Ultimately, he was also the one who got my stay in the USA off the ground and took care of the organization side of things.
